Tomy seals key Pokémon plush deal

Tomy has inked a deal with The Pokémon Company which will see it roll out a line of plush characters across Europe from September.

The plush collection will take its design from the new characters introduced in the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version Nintendo DS games.

There will be eight-inch plush and large size of the video game's three new starter Pokémon: Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott, as well as Pikachu. Four additional Pokémon are due for release in January 2012.

Interactive Talking Plush will also be available, with Pikachu launching in September, followed by Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott in January.

"Pokémon is a truly evergreen brand with staying power and we are very excited to be involved in such a remarkable year for the Pokémon franchise," said Paul Fogarty, European sales and marketing director at Tomy.

"Tomy's reputation as a trusted brand among parents of young children puts us in an excellent position to successfully launch and sustain the plush range, which has the potential to grow and develop along with the Pokémon brand."